Silver Tappers shift USO benefit show to May, aid local veterans

The Nevada Silver Tappers are moving their annual USO Benefit Show into May for the first time, placing the longtime Pahrump fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, at the Saddle West Showroom. The shift gives the troupe a new calendar slot and directs the show’s proceeds to American Legion Post #22 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #10054 Veterans Food Bank.

For the Silver Tappers, the date change is practical as well as symbolic. The group wanted more breathing room between its major productions, so performers would not have to rush straight from the fall USO show into the Christmas Benefit Show. That adjustment could also help the fundraiser stand out on a Memorial Day weekend when more people are already circulating through town and looking for things to do in Pahrump.

The Silver Tappers remain one of Nye County’s most familiar volunteer arts groups, a troupe made up entirely of women age 50 or better. B.J. Hetrick-Irwin, the founder of the Silver Tappers and Ms. Senior Golden Years USA, still helps guide the organization along with producer-director and co-choreographer Kim Cornell-Lyle and choreographer Ione DeSantis. Hetrick-Irwin said she is “very excited” and added, “Just wait until you see the costumes!” The troupe is promising all-new costumes and routines for the two performances.

The show also carries a direct local payoff. VFW Post 10054, also known as the Clyde E. Newman Jr. VFW Post 10054, runs a Veterans Food Bank and Clothes Closet at 4651 Homestead Rd. in Pahrump, open Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. A 2025 Silver Tappers check-presentation video showed proceeds from a previous USO show going to the VFW Food Bank and the Daughters of the American Revolution, underscoring the group’s habit of pairing entertainment with practical support.

That fundraising record is a big part of the story. The Silver Tappers have staged at least 34 Christmas Benefit Shows over the years, and their December 19, 2025 holiday production at Saddle West sold out both performances while benefiting Southwestern Wilds Inc. The May USO show now gives Nye County another chance to turn a packed showroom into cash for veterans, while keeping one of Pahrump’s most durable community traditions moving forward.